Pigtails And Cigarettes
by thekatthatbarks
Summary: Shikamaru ask a favor from Sakura and she readily agrees. Naruto doesn't seem to think it's a good idea though Sakura says she'll be fine. But as the days pass, Sakura starts to wonder if she's in over her head.


"What?" Sakura stared at him in shock, her jaw dropping.

Shikamaru looked at her exasperated. "Don't be so dramatic, Sakura. I just need you to fake date me for a while."

She cocked an eyebrow at him and tried to ignore how her heart skipped a beat. She leaned her hip against the doorframe. "Fake date you?"

* * *

Shikamaru sighed and waved at hand at the apartment behind her. "Can I come inside?"

Sakura nodded and stepped aside to let him in. He kicked off his shoes and followed her to the kitchen. He sat down at her table and Sakura started to make them tea as Shikamaru told her, "Ino and my mother have decided upon themselves that I need to find a girlfriend."

Sakura snorted as she moved around the kitchen. "That sounds like Ino. Ever since she and Choji got together, she thinks everyone needs to find the love she has."

"Troublesome woman," Shikamaru muttered from her table and Sakura laughed. She had to agree. Ino had been pestering her for what felt like weeks for her to settle down with someone. She hadn't been deterred when Sakura reminded her she was _only twenty-two_.

"Now she's picked someone out," he grumbled.

"Oh, is Temari coming to visit?" Sakura asked him with a chuckle, ignoring a certain queasiness in her stomach.

Shikamaru groaned from the table and she peaked over her shoulder to see him with his head in his hand. "Why does everyone think that I like her?"

Sakura kept her back to him as she poured their tea and asked him nonchalantly, "So, you don't?"

"No," he answered frustrated. "She's just a _friend_."

Sakura tried to not visibly relax or sigh in relief at the words. She turned around and handed him his mug. "Well, it's probably because you spend so much time with her when she comes by."

Shikamaru grabbed the mug and took a drink of t. "We're Kage advisors. It's for work and I can be friends with a woman without being attracted to her."

"I know, Shikamaru." Sakura avoided his eyes as she took her own drink. "So, your plan is to pretend to date me while Temari is here so Ino can't try and do anything?"

Shikamaru nodded and Sakura had to ask, "Why'd you ask me?"

She looked up at him, but Shikamaru was staring out her kitchen window. "You're smart enough to not get caught in the lie and…"

Sakura waited a moment but he didn't finish his sentence. She prompted, "And?"

He turned back to her with a small smile. "I'd feel the most comfortable doing this with you."

Sakura smiled back and found herself already deciding. If she was being honest with herself, she had known she'd do it as soon as he'd asked. She looked down at her mug as she answered with a reluctant sigh. "Alright, I'll help you out."

Shikamaru sighed in relief and reached over and grabbed her hand. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura fought down a blush and stood up from her chair, casually slipping out of his hand. "I have the shogi board around here somewhere. Want to stay for a game, Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru nodded at her and followed her to the living room. She'd played a few games with him before. It wasn't like he hadn't been to her apartment before and he usually roped her into a game before he'd leave. They were good friends and she'd thought over time she might be able to learn how his mind worked. But she still hadn't beaten him yet.

She managed to at least _almost_ beat him a couple times. But by the third game, she'd practically given up. She could tell he wasn't even giving the game that much focus so it wouldn't be that great of a win anyway. She moved a piece a few spaces and told him, "You know this is going to be hard to pull off, right? We _are_ her best friends. She knows us pretty well."

Shikamaru sighed but didn't take his eyes off the board. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Sakura, why'd you move there? That doesn't even make any sense."

Sakura ignored him and glanced out the window, noticing how late it had gotten. An idea occurred to her and she told him even though she could feel her heart racing in her chest, "You should stay the night."

He looked up at her then and she could see his skin turning a faint pink. She smirked. _So, even Shikamaru could get flustered?_ He asked her, "What?"

She shrugged and moved her next piece in a random direction. "It'll make it more believable. Leave my apartment in the morning where people can see you. It'll be great gossip and the news will make it to Ino before you even have to tell her yourself."

Shikamaru shifted and leaned his arm on the table. He met her eyes seriously. "Are you sure about all of this? It's supposed to be only for a few days, but it will be a while before the rumors die down."

"It's fine, Shikamaru. I don't really care about any gossip." It was true. It might hurt any chances she had at dating someone for a while. But it wasn't like she had a line of suitors at her door. She didn't really care all that much about it anyway.

He stared at her for a moment longer and then made his move on the board. "As long as it doesn't bother you."

She picked a random piece and moved it to the left. She held back a laugh as Shikamaru's eyebrows scrunched together. She liked to do random moves every now and again just to throw him off. He knew she was good so he always thought she had a motive. But once he realized she was just messing with him, he finished the game in eight moves.

Shikamaru got up from the floor and moved to the couch behind her. He laid down on his back with his head resting on a throw pillow. "You know your couch is actually pretty comfy. My naps here are always nice. Spending the night probably won't be so bad."

Sakura smiled at him from the floor with her back still resting against the couch. Her face was just a few inches away from his. "So you think that's a good plan? You just have to make sure people see you leave in the morning."

Shikamaru nodded and his hand came up to rest on her head. "Yeah, Sakura-chan. You're a great strategist."

He ruffled her hair and Sakura playfully glared at him, pushing his hand away. She smoothed her hair out and got up from the floor. She went to her hallways closet and got a couple of blankets down for him. Then, she went to her room and grabbed a pillow off her bed. When she walked back into the room, he looked up at her from a book he must have found on her table.

She handed him the blankets and pillow, telling him, "It's not War and Peace, but you might like it. It has a lot of philosophy in it."

"You don't mind if I borrow it?" He asked even though he'd already started reading it again.

"Of course not." She shrugged and started cleaning up their game of shogi. She could feel his eyes on her as she got up to put it away on a shelf. She ignored it and grabbed another book off her small bookshelf before settling comfortably in the arm chair. She had spent a few afternoons like that with Shikamaru. Sometimes he would come over and just crash on her couch. He always gave her an excuse like he didn't want to hear his mother nagging him or that if he went to Ino's she'd be the same or Choji would just drag him out to go eat. She always wondered if they were genuine or if he just liked spending time with her. She hoped it was the later.

She read a few pages of her novel and still felt his eyes on her. "Something wrong?" she asked him with a raised eyebrow in his direction.

He didn't look away from her when she caught him staring. He just asked back, "Are you going to keep wearing your hair like that?"

Sakura looked down at her hair and picked up one of the long pink pigtails self-consciously. "Why? Does it look bad?"

She glanced at him and he shook his head, looking up at the ceiling. "Not at all."

Sakura didn't know what to say to that and she looked at him confused. When he didn't say anything else, she turned back to her book. His voice interrupted her reading a few minutes later, "You miss her a lot, don't you?"

Sakura looked over at him and he turned his head to her with a soft smile. She saw nothing but understanding in his eyes. She smiled back at him with a nod. "It's silly, but it makes me feel close to her."

Shikamaru shook his head. "It's not silly."

Sakura blushed when his eyes met hers and she looked down at her book. He said, "I didn't always smoke, you know."

Sakura looked back at him. "Yeah, I know."

They didn't say anything else and Sakura thought back to Tsunade. She was thankful her Shishou was still alive though her heart reached out for Shikamaru. She wondered how she was doing on her travels, if she was happy. Shizune had gone with her like she always had. But Sakura still worried about her. She couldn't help it.

"Stop your worrying, Sakura," Shikamaru interrupted her thoughts.

Sakura looked back to him to see him still watching her with that soft smile. It made her heart skip a beat and she felt warm inside. She chuckled. "How do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Always know what I'm thinking."

He shrugged and put an arm behind his head. "We've been friends for almost twenty years. Even if we weren't on the same team, I like to think I know you pretty well."

Sakura got up from her chair and walked over to the bookshelf, putting her book back. "I like to think so too."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her when she turned around. "Are you already going to sleep?"

She nodded and headed towards her room. She stopped at the hallway and leaned her shoulder against the wall, looking back at him. "I'm just so tired from all of that pretend sex we had. You really wore me out."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes but she could tell he was smiling. "You're going to keep making jokes like that, aren't you?"

She winked at him. "That's the best part of all of this."

"What a drag." Shikamaru mumbled and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Mmhmm. Goodnight, Shikamaru." She smiled at him as he began to unfold one of the blankets she brought him.

"Sweet dreams, Sakura," he replied in a smooth voice that sent shivers down her spine.

She turned away and into the hall, but before she reached her bedroom, she called out to him, "You were great, Shika-kun!"

She could hear him laughing as she turned the doorknob and stepped into her room.

Sakura walked into her kitchen and was surprised to see Shikamaru at her stove. She looked at him sleepily, noticing his hair wasn't in its usual ponytail. He looked so different with it down and she could probably count on her hand how many times she'd seen him like that. He looked so much softer with it down.

She'd developed a small crush on him when they were younger, but it had mainly been because of his intelligence. As they grew up though, she started to like other things about him like his laid-back personality and the way he cared about people. But she was also fully aware of how _attractive_ he was. It seemed like each time she saw him, she was reminded just how incredibly sexy he was, with his narrow eyes and charming smirk. She mindlessly watched his muscles move under his shirt as he cooked.

Her eyes trailed back to his hair and she found her hand reaching out for it without thinking in her half-awake state. "It's so soft," she mumbled in awe as she unashamedly ran her fingers through it.

Shikamaru didn't even flinch away from her and continued cooking. He chuckled, "Good morning to you, too, Sakura-chan."

His voice woke her up and she jerked her hand away with a blush. "I'm sorry." She walked over to the fridge to get some orange juice, but mainly it was just so he wouldn't see her red face.

"I don't mind," he told her and she could hear the amusement in his voice. It just made her embarrassment worse and she tried to force the blood in her face to go away.

She changed the subject as she reached into a cabinet for a glass. "I'm surprised to see you up so early. I thought your lazy ass would still be asleep not cooking me breakfast."

She glanced at him and he shrugged, moving eggs from the skillet onto two plates. "It's just a thank you for helping me out."

Sakura smiled and helped him move all the food to the table. She topped his coffee off before sitting down next to him. "Well, it'll help me out too. Ino won't get off my back about _settling down_."

Shikamaru snorted. "You're only twenty-two."

Sakura laughed and looked up at him with a grin. "That's what I said."

Shikamaru shook his head as he ate. "Ino's relentless."

Sakura nodded and they ate in a comfortable silence. After they were finished, he helped her wash the dishes. She handed him a plate to dry and found herself asking something she'd been wondering about. She tried to make it sound nonchalant and kept her eyes on the pan she was scrubbing at. "Do you think Ino would even be okay with you dating me?"

She could feel him looking at her, but she didn't meet his eyes. "What makes you think she wouldn't be?"

She shrugged and handed him the pan. "Oh, I don't know. Ino's always been really protective of you and Choji. It's probably why she picked out a girl for you herself."

Shikamaru was quiet for a moment and Sakura almost regretted bringing it up. Then, he said, "In that case, she'd probably be even happier with it being you. Two of her best friends getting together? She'll be ecstatic once she gets past the suspicion."

Sakura smiled. But then she started to frown as she thought about it. Shikamaru soothed her worries before she even voiced them. "She won't find out we're lying."

Sakura nodded, hoping he was right. It would only hurt Ino's feelings. Neither of them wanted that to happen.

Shikamaru pulled up his hair as they looked out her window and down at the street below. He raised the window up but Sakura grabbed his sleeve before he could leave. "Wait. Let's give it a few minutes before you leave. Tenten's usually on her way to the training grounds around this time. She'd be a good person to catch you leaving. She loves gossiping almost as much as Ino does."

He chuckled and leaned on the window sill. "I feel like that bar's a little high to reach."

She nodded with a small laugh, her eyes searching the small crowd of early birds for her friend. A few minutes passed and she was about to tell him to just go then, when she spotted her. She was walking with Lee, which made it even better. It wasn't like Lee was a gossip, but he had a hard time deciding what he should keep to himself and what he should proclaim to the world. It usually resulted in him just blurting everything out.

She grabbed Shikamaru's elbow. "Okay, there she is with Lee. You should go now before they pass by."

Shikamaru nodded and gave her one last smile before ducking out the window. He landed softly on the ground seconds before Tenten and Lee passed by. He looked back up at her from the street and she could see the others stopping to talk to him. She leaned out the window and smiled down at him warmly. She didn't have to fake it when she met his eyes and mischievous smile. She called out to him, "I'll see you later, Shika-kun!"

She didn't know why but his eyes widened a fraction. Then, he smiled up at her and she didn't think she'd ever seen him smile like that before, at least at her. It melted her heart and she almost forgot it was all an act before he nodded back at her. He turned to leave putting his hands in his pockets and her eyes followed him until he reached the corner.

She looked back to where Tenten and Lee were, remembering she should have been looking at _them_ for a reaction. They were in the same spot. Their eyes flickered between Shikamaru's retreating figure and her leaning out her window. When she met their eyes, she blushed not even needing to fake it and hastily closed the window after giving them a small wave.

She let out a deep breath as she pulled the curtains closed. _No going back now._

Sakura could tell people were talking about her the entire day she was at the hospital. She heard the whispers and felt the side glances, which all ended once she looked at them. She tried to not let it get to her, though, because _this was what was supposed to happen_. But no one had said anything directly to her until Naruto.

She had just finished making rounds, checking in on all the patients and her medic nin when she caught sight of him hurrying towards her in the middle of the hallway. She looked over at him with a smile. Since he became Hokage, he hadn't been able to visit her as much as he used to. She always tried to make it up by dropping by his office to see him. But they still didn't spend as much time with other as they used to.

He still had his Hokage robes on and his hat was hanging from his neck resting onto his back. He was grinning brightly at her and when he reached her, he picked her up into a hug. She squealed in surprise, "Naruto!"

He put her down, but he was still grinning. He told her, "I'm so happy for you!"

Sakura looked at him confused. "What?"

He made a hand gesture towards her. "You know, you and Shikamaru! I heard about it earlier."

Sakura felt her heart stop and was suddenly very conscious of all the curious eyes on them. She grabbed his sleeve and ushered him into a nearby room. She closed the door and when she turned around Naruto was looking at her confused. "What's wrong?"

Sakura rubbed the back of her head and stepped towards him. "Well, you see about me and Shikamaru…"

She already knew she wasn't going to lie to Naruto about it, but she had been hoping she could catch him before someone else told him. She knew it'd be heartbreaking to see that kind of happiness in his eyes for it to just die down. She looked down at the floor and hastily summarized what was going on.

When she looked back up at him, he had his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against a hospital bed. He was frowning and looking to the side. She could tell he was bordering on angry, especially when he said, "I can't believe he asked you to do that."

Sakura moved towards him with a small smile and shrugged helplessly. "It's not like he knows, Naruto."

Naruto looked back to her and asked, "Why'd you agree to this, Sakura-chan? You're just going to get hurt."

Sakura stiffened, already knowing this was how he was going to take it. She argued, "No, I won't."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You don't think so? You think pretending to date someone you like is going to be _beneficial_?"

"I didn't –" Sakura groaned and ran a hand through her hair, messing up her pigtails in result. She started pacing in front of him. "Look, it's not like I'm _in love_ with him. It's just a crush, it's always been _just a crush_."

Naruto snorted and muttered something like, "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

Sakura huffed and ignored him. "And this actually _is_ beneficial for me. Ino won't stop hounding at me to get a boyfriend. Sooner or later and she would have been mailing one in for _me_!"

She looked back at him and Naruto just looked at her sympathetically. He wasn't buying any of it and she sagged her shoulders, sighing. "He asked me to help him out. I couldn't just say no to him."

Naruto met her eyes. "He wouldn't have held it against you if you did."

Sakura nodded. "I know."

They were silent for a moment and then Naruto narrowed his eyes at her. "I heard he snuck out of your apartment this morning."

"We didn't do anything. Just a part of the plan."

Naruto sighed and leaned off the bed. He shrugged in vague acceptance, but promised, "If he hurts you, I'm going to kick his ass."

Sakura laughed and gave him a small smile. "I know, Naruto. I appreciate it."

Sakura didn't look up from her paperwork when there was a knock on her door and just called out, "Come in."

The door opened and then closed. She heard him sigh and say, "I've never felt so many eyes on me before. Walking through the hospital made me feel like I was the Hokage."

Sakura chuckled and glanced up at Shikamaru. "Tell me about it and I bet there are even ears at the door as we speak."

He rolled his eyes and fell into one of the chairs in front of her desk. "News travels fast. I haven't even told anyone. Have you?"

Sakura shook her head and went back to her report. "I've been at work all day and I think everyone is too scared of the Mini Tsunade to ask me about it either. Has anyone said anything to you?"

She saw his jaw clench out of the corner of her eye and he muttered, "Not anything I'd like to repeat."

She glanced up at him with a raised eyebrow but he just shook his head. She let it go, her eyes trailing back to her paperwork with a sigh. Shikamaru asked her, "Did I come by at a bad time?"

She smiled as her pen ran across the paper. "No, I just have to finish this report then I can get the hell out of here." She let out a deep breath as she finally signed her name at the bottom. She closed the folder and put in a basket at the corner of her desk for a nurse to pick up later. She stood up and shrugged off her doctor's coat. "You know if you hadn't made me breakfast this morning, I probably would have starved."

Shikamaru went to the door and opened it for her. He looked at her confused and asked, "Did you not have lunch? Sakura, it's almost nine o'clock."

His concerned expression made her feel warm inside and she walked through the door. She shrugged and told him, "Well, I had a few snacks but not anything someone would normally call a _meal_."

Shikamaru sighed beside her as they walked, muttering, "Troublesome woman," under his breath. She could felt those same prying eyes on her again and it seemed like there was even more now that she was with Shikamaru. She could tell some of the noisier medics were straining their ears to hear what they were saying.

Though he had complained about it earlier, Shikamaru didn't seem very bothered by it. Sakura figured she could take advantage of the moment and casually hooked her arm through his. He stilled for a second but continued walking with his hands in his pockets. He told her, "I suppose I could take you out for something to eat. I wouldn't want my partner in crime to collapse on her walk home."

Sakura felt her heart flutter in her chest and had to remind herself it was probably part of the act. _To sell it._ But she nodded anyways, she'd milk all she could get out of this. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Since you insist."

"You said you weren't seeing anyone, right?" Shikamaru asked her after they sat down at a table.

"I'm not." Sakura gave him an odd look as she broke her chopsticks.

He looked at her confused and said, "Naruto was glaring at me all day. But when I asked him what was wrong he wouldn't tell me."

Sakura snorted. "Don't worry about Naruto, Shikamaru. He's just a little protective of me. Actually earlier, I told him the truth."

"Then, why was he still pissed?"

Sakura paused at the question as she tried to think of how to answer. She settled for a shrug. "I don't know. But Naruto's not in love with me anymore if that's what you think. He's actually seeing someone right now."

Shikamaru looked at her skeptically. "No, I would know about that. I'm with the man almost all day every day."

Sakura smirked as she took a drink of her glass. "Well, it's true. He just hasn't told many people about her. She's a civilian girl. He's trying to keep her out of all the gossip."

"Have you met her?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Of course, I'm his best friend. She had to get approved by me first."

He rolled his eyes at her and she chuckled. "She's nice. Her name's Akiko. She has a bit of a temper and is stubborn. But she takes care of him. I think she's good for him."

"Sounds like someone I know." He winked at her and she threw a wad of a napkin at him.

He laughed and Sakura felt her heart skip a beat at his smile. The conversation soon switched to less important things, they talked about nothing and anything. It was nice and Sakura decided she'd try and hang out with him more once the whole charade was over. Even if their relationship wasn't going to go anywhere, she still liked spending time with him.

It wasn't long after they had gotten there that Ino had run into the restaurant. She was a little out of breath by the time she reached them and Sakura wondered how long she'd been looking for them. She also noted with amusement that Ino still had her orange apron on from the flower shop with _Yamanaka's_ written across it in yellow.

When she stopped in front of them, she crossed her arms over her chest and her blue eyes flickered between them. She didn't say anything for a minute and then she bluntly asked, "Are you two on a date?"

Sakura looked over at Shikamaru with a smile and she could see him fighting back one of his own. He nodded lazily up at Ino and gestured to Sakura. "Obviously."

Ino narrowed her eyes at him and raised an eyebrow. "So, you're _dating_?

Shikamaru asked back, "Isn't that kind of the same question?"

Ino's didn't reply and her face was a little blank as she looked between the couple. But Sakura could see a smile slowly growing on her face. As she expected Ino eventually grinned and plopped down beside her in the booth. "This is great! When I heard the rumor, I didn't think it was true."

Ino threw her arms around her and squeezed her happily. Sakura chuckled and hugged her back. She glanced at Shikamaru and he had a soft smile on his face and an amused look in his eyes as he watched them.

Before Ino pulled away from her, she whispered in her ear, "I _knew_ you always had a crush on him."

Sakura felt her face heat up and she looked to Shikamaru, but he merely raised an eyebrow at her not having heard Ino. _Thank, Kami._ Ino smirked as she pulled away, but thankfully didn't say anything to Shikamaru.

She started rambling about how great it was that two of her best friends were together – Shikamaru gave Sakura a knowingly look – and the possibility of _double dates._ She didn't seem bothered that she was interrupting them and they found her more amusing that anything. It just showed that Shikamaru's plan had worked.

Then, Ino suddenly stopped talking as something occurred to her. She looked at Shikamaru sadly and said, "But Tamari's coming this weekend…"

Shikamaru sighed with a shrug. "Ino, I've told you we're just friends. It's not like she's coming to see me, anyways. She's coming to discuss the Chunnin Exams."

Ino pouted and looked down at the table. She mumbled under her breath, "Well, I hope Tamari feels the same…"

Sakura shifted in her seat, the words going over in her mind. She hadn't thought about that. She looked to Shikamaru but he only shook his head slightly. Ino looked up at her then and brought a smile back to her face. "Oh, but don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you two!"

They smiled back at her and she slipped out of the booth with a hasty goodbye. Sakura looked over at Shikamaru once she was gone and chuckled softly with a shrug. "Well, there's that. Guess it all worked out."

He nodded with a look in his eyes that Sakura couldn't describe. "I guess so."

Shikamaru looked down at the woman that was wrapped around his arm. She'd been unusually quiet since he picked her up and he felt like something was wrong. He nudged her with his arm and she looked up at him with those beautiful green eyes. He asked her, "You alright?"

She nodded with a small smile and looked back to the street. She didn't say anything else and Shikamaru purposely slowed their walk to the restaurant. "Sakura, you seem nervous," he told her and didn't even phrase it like a question.

She laughed softly and tugged on him to move faster. She denied it. "Why would I be nervous?"

He shrugged with a sigh, wondering for probably the dozenth time if this was a bad idea. He didn't answer her and they finally reached the restaurant. He turned to her and met her eyes before going inside. He said, "If you start feeling uncomfortable, just let me know and we'll make an excuse to leave. Okay?"

She smiled up at him and he was relieved that this one looked more genuine. She nodded. "Okay, Shika."

Tamari and Sakura were laughing hysterically at something he hadn't even caught. He figured it had something to do with the growing bottles and glasses on the table, but everyone seemed to be having a good time. The number of people around the table had grown since the night went on and he was sure Sakura was relieved about it. No matter how easily she had agreed to the whole thing, he knew she didn't want to have a lot of attention focused on them. He felt the same way. It would just make it harder when the act was finally over.

She was leaning into his side and Shikamaru had automatically wrapped an arm around her waist. She was warm against him and he could smell the liquor off her breath when she would turn to him. He was also aware of Naruto throwing glares his way every now and then. But when he'd look over at him, the man just smiled as if nothing had happened. Shikamaru knew though and he became even more conscious of every touch from Sakura.

After Sakura had told him Naruto knew the truth, it was obvious what he was so mad about. _He thought Shikamaru was taking advantage of her._ A part of Shikamaru couldn't help but agree and he hated himself for being so selfish. It just added to the guilt he was already feeling.

Even heavily intoxicated, Sakura seemed to notice something was wrong with him. She turned away from the girls and looked up at him. He could see the flush in her cheeks from the alcohol and her hair was slipping out of her pigtails and into her face. She looked adorable as her eyebrows furrowed and she asked him quietly, "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and gave her a smile. He leaned over and refilled her sake cup for her. "Nothing."

She narrowed her eyes at him like she didn't believe him, but decided to let it go. She leaned more heavily into his side and turned back to Ino. Then, he felt Kiba bump his shoulder on his right. He looked over at him and Kiba nodded to his hand. Shikamaru knew what he was going to say but couldn't stop him before he asked him without bothering to lower his voice, "Did you get Sakura to fix up your hand?"

So, of course, Sakura had heard and looked over at them. Her eyes went to his hand but she didn't see anything wrong with it. She asked Kiba, "What're you talking about?"

Kiba looked at her surprised and raised an eyebrow at Shikamaru. "You didn't tell her?"

Shikamaru sighed, noticing almost the whole table was now listening to them curiously. He didn't meet any of their eyes and took a drink from his glass. "It was nothing, Sakura."

Kiba scoffed, obviously not getting any hints Shikamaru was trying to give him that he didn't want to talk about it. "Nothing? Dude, I can't believe you didn't tell her. I would've told my girlfriend."

Shikamaru glared at him when Sakura tugged on his shirt and asked with a shred of annoyance, "Tell me _what_?"

Shikamaru's fingers itched for a cigarette and he looked at Kiba with a raised eyebrow. If he was so determined for her to know, then _he_ could tell her. Kiba hesitated, finally guessing that maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

He looked back to Sakura and told her, "Well, earlier today we were walking down the street and I was telling Shikamaru about my last mission, when this guy came over to us. I think he was a civilian or maybe a chunnin who doesn't get a lot of missions. Neither of us knew him at least. But anyways he started talking about you and –"

Kiba paused and glanced at Shikamaru. This time he got the signal and kept his details to a minimum. "Uh, he well – let's just say he was congratulating Shikamaru on… _his new girlfriend_."

Everyone was quiet as Kiba finished the short story, obviously waiting for the punchline. Sakura was the first to speak up. She prompted him, " _And_? What does this have to do with Shikamaru's hand?"

Kiba didn't meet her eyes and shrugged. He looked to the side like he was trying to choose his words carefully without receiving the same end as the guy from earlier. "He was an asshole, Sakura. He was being vulgar and inappropriate. He was pissing us both off but couldn't get the hint to leave. Then, he said… _something_ that made me want to beat the shit out of him. But well," – he chuckled and flickered his eyes to Shikamaru – "before _I_ could, Shikamaru did."

Shikamaru could feel everyone's eyes on him, especially Sakura's. Her shock was practically radiating off her. He'd never wished more for the floor to just open and swallow him whole. Sakura reached out and grabbed his hand. She turned it over in hers looking for bruising. He sighed, but didn't pull away from her. "He's being overdramatic. I just hit him once."

Kiba snickered beside him and corrected, " _Twice_."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as quiet chuckles could be heard around the table. Tamari was the loudest as she held back her laughter. He met her eyes and she arched an eyebrow at him with a wide grin. " _You_ lost your cool? Man, I wish I could have seen that."

 _He really wanted a cigarette now._ But Sakura still had his hand in hers and he could feel her chakra softly humming through his skin barely visible. He sighed and told Tamari, "It really wasn't that big of a deal." He glanced down at Sakura and spoke softly, "I didn't break it."

She nodded and gave him a warm smile. Then, leaned her head against his shoulder as she let go of his hand. She dropped a hand to his thigh though and he could feel the heat from her touch through his pants. Their group of friends continued to throw lighthearted jabs at him about him losing his _lazy and cool attitude_. Naruto and Choji were the only ones who mainly stayed quiet, both giving him knowing looks that he wasn't entirely comfortable with. Choji made sense, though, because he _knew_. But Naruto? Was Shikamaru so transparent that even Naruto noticed? He berated himself as the thought crossed his mind. Naruto wasn't the dense kid he used to be and Shikamaru needed to remind himself of that. He vaguely noticed the glares that had been aimed at him had disappeared.

As the night went on, Sakura got more quiet and Shikamaru guessed it was all the sake catching up to her. She was lazily drawing random shapes on his leg with her head resting on his shoulder. When Naruto decided to call it a night, Shikamaru took the opportunity to follow suit. Though Ino looked disappointed they were leaving so early, she didn't complain seeing how out of it Sakura looked. She was always a happy and energetic drinker, but the she'd hit a point where she mellowed out.

Shikamaru laid some money down on the table to cover them both and helped Sakura to her feet. She swayed a little but steadied herself with a hand against his chest. She laughed a little to herself and told everyone goodbye. Shikamaru walked her out of the restaurant with his arm still wrapped around her waist.

She still swayed as they walked, but he noticed with amusement that she thought it was funny and was practically _making_ herself stumble. She was slow and by the pace they were going at – especially with him trying to make sure she didn't trip over her own feet – it would take forever to reach her apartment.

He tugged her closer to him with a sigh. "You should know you're limits, Sakura-chan."

She met his eyes with flushed cheeks and dazed eyes. She smiled cheekily. "Hey, I _do_ know my limits. Shishou even taught me a way to control my alcohol intake."

Shikamaru chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah? Maybe you need to go over the techniques again."

She huffed and rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm _fine_ , Shika."

He held back a smile at how adorable she looked with her hair slipping out of her pigtails. He reached over and undid them before she could lose her red hair ties in the street. She pouted at him and flipped her hair over her shoulder. The movement made her stumble and Shikamaru sighed. "Okay, you troublesome woman. Why don't you just climb on to my back before you kiss the ground?"

She giggled and shook her head. "Why would I kiss the ground?"

Shikamaru laughed and just tugged one of her arms over his shoulder. She climbed on easier than he thought she would and locked her arms around his neck. He adjusted her and held on to her legs as they walked. They walked silently for a couple of minutes and then he felt a sloppy kiss on his cheek. She mumbled softly, "I'd much rather kiss you."

His feet stopped and his heart pounded in his chest. Sakura didn't seem to notice though and she sighed happily against his shoulder. Her breath was hot against his skin and he could smell the sake from it. He shook the moment off, knowing Sakura was nowhere near sober. He began walking again, his face warm. Sakura quickly fell asleep, her breathing slow and soft.

Minutes later, he heard someone walking up to them. He looked to the side to Temari. She smiled at him and leaned her head forward to look at Sakura's face. She chuckled. "She's out like a light. I didn't think I'd catch up to you guys, but this explains why you were walking so slow."

"Yeah, she always gets like this when she drinks. She's like a child. She gets all hyper than she mellows out later," Shikamaru replied with a fond smile.

Temari nodded as she walked beside them. "I get the hyper part but don't think I've ever stuck around long enough for a passed-out Sakura."

Before he could reply, Temari asked him with a smirk, "So, when did you two get together? I asked Ino but she didn't actually know."

"We're not actually together," he told her reluctantly with a sigh. He thought he'd keep up the ruse with her if she didn't bring it up when they were alone. But now that she had, he didn't want to lie. It almost felt wrong to lie to her.

Temari was quiet for a moment as she thought about it. Then, she asked, "This was your clever idea to stop Ino from trying to get us together?"

He would have shrugged if he didn't have an unconscious woman on his back. "It worked, didn't it?"

Temari looked away from him and at the road in front of them. She sighed and told him quietly, "You know, if you would've just told her that you rejected me a long time ago, she would've gave up by now."

"That's not any of her business," he mumbled. He'd thought about it. He told himself he kept it quiet because Ino would just rag on him about passing up such an amazing woman. But it was more than that. It almost felt like betraying Temari, talking about her behind her back. It was something personal and he didn't want to blurt her feelings out to the rest of the world. He had never even told Choji.

Temari laughed softly beside him. "Whatever. You just don't want me to feel embarrassed. Which I appreciate, honestly."

He didn't respond and after a moment she asked again, "So, not really dating, huh? Then, what was that story Kiba told? All a part of the _charade_?"

He felt his face warm but didn't think Temari could see it in the dark night. He clicked his tongue against his cheek. "I would've done the same for you or Ino."

"What did he say anyway?" She looked at him curiously.

"Not something you should ever repeat to a woman." He sighed, thinking back to Kiba. He was sure he'd gotten the hint to not go into more detail.

Temari chuckled. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you were so chivalrous."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and turned his head slightly to Sakura. She was still sound asleep, dozing off on his shoulder. He looked back to Temari. "He was basically talking about how good Sakura must be in bed. In _vivid_ detail."

Temari frowned and cursed under her breath, "emPig/em."

Shikamaru nodded, his eyes narrowing as he thought about that civilian. Temari changed the subject when she noticed his mood shift. She stopped in her tracks at a corner. "Well, this is the street where my inn's at."

Shikamaru shifted Sakura when her head started to loll to the side so she wouldn't get a crick in her neck. He glanced at Temari. "Do you want me to walk you?"

She rolled her eyes with a hand on her hip. "No, thanks. I can walk myself. Just take your girlfriend home."

He narrowed his eyes at her and she just laughed. She mouthed at him, " _Just tell her._ " Then, walked away from him.

Shikamaru sighed and continued walking to Sakura's apartment. Of course Temari knew, too. It made him wonder if anyone knew _before_ all of this happened. Was he really that obvious?

Sakura woke up as he was climbing the stairs to her apartment. She mumbled incoherently to herself and looked at him with bleary eyes. After a couple of seconds, she squeezed him and it was a little hard to be breathe. "Shika-kun!"

He laughed as they reached her doorstep. She must still be a little drunk. "We're at your apartment now, Sakura-chan. You can get down."

She sighed and he gently let go of her legs and she dropped to the ground on her feet. She walked towards the door and pulled out her key. She seemed to have trouble with it, so Shikamaru stepped towards her and took it from her hand. After he unlocked the door, she looked up at him. Her eyes were warm even though they looked a little dazed. Her hair was a mess as it fell around her. He fought the urge to reach out and tuck it behind her ear. She was a mess, but it made her look even more beautiful.

He felt her grab at the fabric of his shirt as she asked him, "Do you wanna come inside?"

Shikamaru felt his heart skip a beat even as he told himself it was a drunken request. He shook his head with a smile. "Some other time."

She pouted and tilted her head to the side. "Why not? You've already spent the night before."

"It's just not a good idea, Sakura. You've drank a lot. Just go lie down and sleep the night off." He nodded his head towards the door, hoping she would just simply go inside.

But she didn't. _Of course she didn't._ She tugged on his shirt and looked up at him with a goofy smile. She switched topics - or at least he thought she did. "You defended my _honor_."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and met hers. "Not that big of a deal." He wanted to tell her what he told Temari, that he would've done it for anyone else. But it almost felt rude to. Thinking back to how angry he had felt, he also felt like it would be a lie. Sure, he would've defended any of his female friends. But just like everyone had pointed out, he didn't lose his _cool_ often. He knew it was mainly just because it was _Sakura_.

Her eyes fell to his chest and she mumbled, "Still…"

She leaned closer to him and raised an eyebrow at him. She told him with _pure innocence_ , "Come inside so I can properly thank you."

He could still smell the liquor on her breath and see the flush in her cheeks. No matter how tempting the offer was, he wasn't going to take a step into her apartment. He gave her a small smile and brought a hand up to cup her cheek. He repeated, "Some other time."

She leaned into his touch with a reluctant sigh. "Okay." She gave him a tight hug goodbye then slipped into the warmth of her apartment.

Shikamaru's mind was still trying to process everything on her doorstep and his eyes were glued to her door. Eventually, he walked away with a small smile and a shake of his head. He wondered if she would remember any of it tomorrow.

Sakura looked up at the knock on her office door. She felt a slight panic before she called out for whoever it was to come in. When she saw Temari walk through the door, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Temari noticed and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her with a chuckle. She fell heavily into one of the office chairs. "Expecting someone else?"

Sakura fought down a blush and shook her head, looking down at her paperwork. "No. But, uh, I wasn't expecting _you_? I thought you would've left already."

Temari nodded and glanced around Sakura's small office. "I just left Ino's to tell her goodbye." She turned back to Sakura with a wide smile. "I thought I'd come see you before I left too."

Sakura smiled back at her, though she was a little taken aback. Her and Temari weren't very close, which was probably because of Sakura's jealousy of her relationship with Shikamaru. But they _were_ friends and Sakura was happy she decided to stop by. She glanced at the clock before standing up. "Did you have any more stops before you were going to leave?"

Temari shook her head and stood up too, looking at Sakura questionably. Sakura stepped towards the door and held it open for her. "I'll walk you to the gates."

Temari seemed to relax for some reason and Sakura wondered if she'd thought Sakura was going to ask her to leave. But maybe she was just imagining it. After the left the hospital, Temari elbowed her and gave her a mischievous smile. "Hey, I actually came by because I wanted to ask you something."

Sakura had an inkling of what she was curious about, but couldn't find a way around it. She felt a nervousness that twisted in her stomach as she waved a hand for Temari to ask away.

Temari's smile widened and she jumped right into it. "So, when did you and Shikamaru start dating?"

"Oh, just recently," Sakura answered her vaguely.

She raised her eyebrows at her and asked bluntly, "Have you always liked him?"

Sakura avoided her eyes and looked at the road ahead of them. She could feel her cheeks warming up as she thought about how to answer. _Well, it wouldn't be that big of a deal to answer honestly, would it?_ It's not Shikamaru would hear about it and if he did she could say it was for the act.

She looked up at the sky and smiled when she saw a good number of clouds. She was sure Shikamaru was looking up at them too wherever he was, wishing he could be lounging on a field somewhere instead of what he was doing. "I've always had a crush on him since I was little. I admired him for how smart he was even though I thought he was incredibly lazy for a seven-year-old."

She glanced at Temari and she chuckled. Sakura continued, "I got distracted with Sasuke. He was also smart, but he had this mysterious attitude about him that all the girls liked. It was kind of hard to not like him, you know? But it took me a while to realize that I just liked the image all of us had made of him."

Temari nodded to show that she was listening and Sakura looked back to the road. "Well, then I started to notice Shikamaru more often. He was always _there_ like this support I could go to whenever I need it. He cares about his friends and does whatever he can for them no matter how _troublesome_ it is." Sakura realized she was rambling and glanced back at Temari who was watching her with an amused expression. Sakura cleared her throat, her face reddening. "And, uh, well, I don't know. The feelings just grew."

Sakura played with the ends of one of her pigtails self-consciously. Temari hummed beside her thoughtfully and then said with a sigh, "So it was you."

Sakura looked at her confused and Temari told her, "A few years ago, I confessed to Shikamaru. But he rejected me and told me he was pinning for someone else. I had always thought it was Ino, though. But thinking about it, I think you suite his taste better."

Sakura was caught so off guard, she didn't know what to say. She suddenly felt guilty about Temari thinking she was dating Shikamaru. "Temari, I'm sorry. If I'd known –"

Temari cut her off with a laugh. "You wouldn't have said all that? Sakura, it's okay. I've been over him for a while."

Sakura nodded, her shoulders sagging in relief. Temari switched the topic and started to tell her about someone she'd started seeing back home. She knew it was to assure her she had moved on, but Sakura could tell Temari really liked the girl she was talking about. Sakura was telling her she should bring her by next time she had to come to the village when they'd finally reached the gate.

Sakura was about to hug her goodbye when someone walked up to them. Sakura smelt the smoke from his cigarrete before she noticed him. She looked over at him with a smile and fought the urge to step closer to him. He smiled at her before looking to Temari. "On your way out?"

Temari nodded and leaned to one foot. She raised an eyebrow at him. "And you weren't even going to bother to say goodbye."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "I'm here, aren't I? It's much less troublesome to catch you leaving than to try and find you in the village before you left."

Temari rolled her eyes back at him but gave him a fond smile. She glanced at Sakura. "Well, I'll let you know when I'll be coming by again."

Shikamaru nodded and then was reminded of something. He asked her, "You didn't let anything slip to Ino, right?"

"Of course not." She winked at him and then gave them one last goodbye before walking away.

They watched her go and Sakura moved over to Shikamaru. She looked up at him curiously. "Let what slip to Ino?"

He looked down at her a little surprised. "She didn't tell you? I let Temari in on the act last night."

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat and she looked back to Temari's retreating figure. She didn't know if she could hear them, but she seemed to look over her shoulder at that moment. When she caught Sakura's eyes, she winked at her before facing forward again. Sakura's mind went over the conversation she had just had with Temari and felt her skin heat up. _She had known?_

Without waiting for her reply, Shikamaru turned back to the village and looked at her expectantly. She fell in to step beside him, her mind still reeling over everything she'd told Temari. She hadn't noticed how quiet she had been until Shikamaru spoke up, "Sakura?"

She looked up at him and felt herself blush when she met his eyes. She looked away and asked, "Yes?"

Shikamaru chuckled beside her and bumped her arm with his. "What's wrong with you? You're blushing like ten shades of red."

Sakura's cheeks flamed at the acknowledgement and Sakura turned her face further away from him. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

He didn't say anything, but she could practically _hear_ his smirk. She waited for her face to cool down before facing the street again. They were quiet for a moment and then Shikamaru said, "Oh, I know what you're thinking about."

Sakura looked up at him in surprise, feeling her heart race. "You do?"

Shikamaru nodded and met her eyes with a charming smile. "Last night."

Sakura's eyebrows pulled together and her walk slowed. "Last night…?" She tried to think of what he could be referring to, then she remembered why she had been so anxious to see him since this morning. She had foolishly hoped maybe he had had too much to drink and didn't remember.

If her face had been red earlier, it couldn't even compare to it right now. Sakura felt so hot she thought she might faint as blurred memories replayed behind her eyes. She hid her face in her hands and stopped her feet. "Oh _no_."

Shikamaru stopped with her in the middle of the road. She could faintly hear him softly laughing as she mumbled _no_ over and over again. He gently grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her hands away from her face. She let him and looked up at him mortified. "Shika – "

She cut herself off when Shikamaru's thumb came up to pinch her chin and angle her face towards his. She could see the mirth dancing in his eyes and he assured her, "Don't worry about it, Sakura-chan. I know you were drunk out of your mind."

"But –" She tried to argue, but Shikamaru had already let her face go and turned away from her. She might have imagined it but she could have sworn she saw a glimpse of sadness on his face.

He held out his arm to her and gave her a small smile. He nodded towards the way they were walking. "Come on. I'm sure the hospital is missing you from the short break you took to walk Temari."

Sakura hesitated feeling something off about him, but wrapped her arm around his as they started to walk again. He switched the topic and Sakura forgot about their previous conversation as he started telling her about his upcoming mission. She was so distracted by how much she was going to miss him, she almost missed when he kissed her cheek goodbye after dropping her off at the hospital.

Sakura hadn't realized how attached she'd gotten to Shikamaru until he left for his monthlong mission. She missed him more than she thought she would and she was sure it showed. She felt bored without him and a little… _uneased_. A few days after he'd left, she stopped simply missing him and started _worrying_ , which was even worse. Without even having to say anything, everyone seemed to notice. She could tell Naruto was biting back an _I told you so_ whenever he saw how sad she was. Ino tried to distract her by asking her to help her prepare flowers for a wedding.

Sakura had spent so much time in the Yamanaka Flower Shop since she was younger that Ino didn't even have to guide her on what to do. She cut the flowers and prepared them as Ino arranged them in vases and tied bows around them. Sakura looked over at her after Ino complained that Sakura needed to stop looking so depressed. She chuckled and rubbed the back of her head, a habit she'd picked up from Kakashi. "Ah, sorry, Ino."

Ino just rolled her eyes but she still had a smile on her face so Sakura knew she wasn't actually annoyed. She mumbled absent mindedly, "I can't believe I never noticed."

"Noticed what?" Sakura prompted, though it seemed like Ino was talking to herself.

"How much you like _Shika-kun_." Ino met her eyes with a teasing smile causing a light pink to dust Sakura's cheeks.

Sakura didn't reply, knowing Ino was going to go on and she did. "And it's been like that for a few years. He lazes around at your apartment. I never hear you complain about him. You're always so sweet to him even when he's being a pain in the ass." Ino shook her head fondly. "You always go looking for him if you hear he came back from a mission injured – "

"I do that for all of my friends!" Sakura interjected.

"- _even_ though he has a medic on his team." Ino levelled her with a look.

"Ino, it's not like –" Sakura tried to explain, realizing she might have been indirectly insulting her.

Ino cut her off, "Don't worry about it. I know it doesn't have anything to do with my medical skills not being up to par in your eyes. You're a worry wart and have to check on everyone yourself. But _especially_ with Shikamaru." Ino grinned at her and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Well, the idiot thinks it's _troublesome_ to come to the hospital," Sakura muttered under her breath.

Ino laughed. "Anyways, I really do think it's nice you two got together."

Sakura felt that guilt in her stomach increase in weight and she avoided Ino's eyes. She shrugged, deciding putting a little bit of doubt into the relationship now might lessen the surprise when they _break up_. "We've only been together for a while, Ino. It may not even last."

"It will," Ino said without missing a beat, her eyes and hands focused on the vase in front of her.

Sakura looked over at her surprised by the conviction in her voice. "What makes you so sure?"

"You guys suit each other. I am really surprised I never noticed it. I should've tried to set you up years ago. I was a little doubtful at first, but then everything clicked. When I thought about it, it was obvious that you always liked each other and just never did anything about it until now. Choji agreed with me."

Sakura didn't know exactly what to say to that and bit her lip. Ino seemed to have distracted herself with just the mention of Choji's name and started rambling about the last date they went on. Sakura tried to pay attention, but was distracted herself. All she caught was _so sweet, don't deserve him_ and Ino trying to remember a recipe Choji's mother had given her.

Sakura had been walking home with more than the average person could carry number of grocery bags. She'd been switching between looking at the ground and staring up at the clouds as she walked. So, she didn't even notice him waiting at the corner for her watching her with a smile.

When she got closer to him, he spoke in that bored and endearing voice of his. "You'll run into something if you keep staring up at the clouds like that."

Sakura's head jerked towards him and felt a grin splitting across her face. He smiled at her and leaned off the wall he'd been resting against. Without thinking, Sakura dropped her bags to the ground and ran towards him. He caught her in his arms and chuckled surprised. He hugged her back and asked, "Did you really miss me lazing around on your couch that much?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled back far enough to meet his eyes. "You don't usually get sent out on missions, especially this long, since you're Naruto's advisor. It was…weird without you here. When'd you get back?"

"Just now. I was headed to your apartment when I saw you." Shikamaru smiled and raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Where his skin touched hers, it felt oddly warm. He was gentle and his eyes followed his hand with a soft expression. The moment only lasted a second and then he cleared his throat and pulled away from her. Sakura couldn't help her smile when she saw his faint blush.

He started grabbing as many of her bags as he could even as she protested that they felt like nothing to her. But he only let her carry a couple saying something along the lines that _a man shouldn't let a woman carry heavy things_.

Sakura rolled her eyes as he started walking with her to her apartment. "But they're not heavy to _me_. It makes more sense for me to carry them."

Shikamaru sighed. "Sakura, don't be troublesome and just let me carry them."

Sakura chuckled and didn't argue with him. Even when if it wasn't entirely reasonable, Shikamaru always tried to be a gentleman. It was one of the many things she liked about him. Sakura looked him over as they walked. She noticed a couple scars that hadn't been there before he left, one on his neck that caught her eye the most. But even carrying most of her bags, he didn't seem like he had any serious injuries. She paid special attention to when he turned his torso and how much weight he put on each foot. But he seemed perfectly fine, which he was sure to tell her.

He noticed her staring and promised her, "Sakura-chan, I'm fine. The mission was more annoying than it was dangerous."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and nodded towards his neck. "The cut on your neck?"

Shikamaru avoided her eyes and simply said, "The attack was avoided so don't worry."

Sakura tried not to, reminding herself that this was the shinobi life; anxiously waiting for someone to come home and shrugging near death experiences off like the drop of hat. She knew all of this. She always had. It was just something she'd probably always have to remind herself of.

"It was a solo mission, right?" Sakura changed the subject and tore her eyes away from his neck.

He nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, those are always a drag."

They'd reached her apartment now and Sakura sat down her bags to dig for her key in her pouch. "Why?"

Shikamaru followed her into the apartment and started to help her put her groceries away as he answered, "I think team missions have more success. There's more perspectives on strategies and plans instead of just one person deciding everything. Besides, I like having my friends with me."

Sakura caught his smile and returned it. After they finished putting everything away, Sakura ushered him to her couch. She pushed his shoulders down despite his protest. Even if he thought he was fine, she still wanted to look him over to be sure. He gave up and leaned into the couch with his eyes closed and let her hover her hands over him as they glowed green.

To his credit, he bit back an _I told you so_ and just smirked at her when she said he was perfectly healthy. She sat beside him on the couch and pressed her fingers against his neck. He turned towards her and seconds later the small cut was gone. She didn't move her hand off him right away and Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at her.

Sakura felt herself blush and looked away from his eyes. She mumbled, "It was bothering me."

He smiled at her with that expression she'd started seeing – or _noticing_ \- a lot of lately. It made her heart skip a beat and she felt like she was melting. She felt warm inside and light. _It made her wonder…_

"Sakura –"

Sakura interrupted him and met his eyes with determination. "Shikamaru, I want to ask you something."

He looked at her taken aback but nodded. "Yeah?"

Her hand moved from his neck to his shoulder as she felt her heart pounding against her ribcage. "But promise me that – that it won't change anything. That we'll stay friends. That you'll still smile at me when you see me and you'll come sleep on my couch. That you'll take heavy things from me even when I'm stronger than you. That – "

Shikamaru cut her off, worry starting to needle its way in between his eyebrows. He reached out for her arm and chuckled nervously. "Hey, hey, I promise. So, what's wrong, Sakura?"

Sakura kept her eyes locked his, refusing to look away. She summoned some courage and leaned closer to him to where she was just inches away from his face. She asked him in what she hoped was a strong voice, "If I kissed you for real, would you kiss me back?"

She watched as his eyes widened and the world seemed to be still for a second. Then, she felt his hands on her face pulling her closer. She closed her eyes in response but he hadn't kissed her yet. He was a breath's away from her lips and he whispered, " _Yes_."

She could hear the smile in his voice and she closed the distance, pressing her lips against his. He kissed her back and she snaked her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer and she could feel his fingers threaded into her hair. The kiss was sweet and slow. When she broke away, he couldn't help but chase after her lips and kiss her again. Sakura smiled against him and he leaned his forehead against hers when he finally pulled away. His cheeks were slightly red and Sakura couldn't stop herself from holding his face to feel the warmth there.

He asked her with a smile, "Does this mean you're not going to break up with me?"

Sakura laughed and nodded. "I don't think I could've broken up with you even if it was for a charade."

"Then, I guess we're stuck together because I feel the same way." His thumb stroked across her cheek with an affectionate look in his eyes. Sakura felt her cheeks turn pink from the movement alone and she leaned into his touch.

She met his eyes and checked, "But no more acting?"

He nodded and leaned forward to capture her lips again. He promised between kisses, "No more acting."


End file.
